Modern radio communication systems can be quite complex. Many systems include numerous channels and other communication resources that must be monitored and controlled by one or more operators. As radio communication systems grow in size and complexity, the ability of a controlling operator, such as a dispatcher, to manage and control a communication system becomes increasingly difficult. In a typical prior art radio communication system, a dispatcher is provided with a console, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) display console, that allows channel control windows to be accessed, and for system operations control commands to be executed via selections on the console.
With the large quantity of information to be displayed to the operator, the console, which is of fixed dimensions, may not have sufficient display area necessary to present all the options and/or information necessary for the operator. Consequently, the operator may have to scroll pages of information in order to access the desired control information. Additionally, the information and control elements on the display console may not be efficiently presented for a given situation. The organization of console information may differ depending on the situations at hand, by the time of day that the system is operating, by the experience level of the operator among others. Generally, today's console presentations are either fixed, or when configurable, requires substantial effort for reconfiguration.
A need exists for a radio console display that can conveniently accommodate a large number of communication resources, such as channels, options, and control, for the effective management of complex communication system. Such console display should be easily configurable to fit the needs of a particular user or situation. Yet, an operator should not be allowed to reconfigure the system in such a way as to hamper effective control of the radio communication system.